Halloween means candy, neighboorhood interaction

There are several reasons I enjoy Halloween. The first, of course, is that for the month leading up to Halloween it's socially acceptable to eat all candy in sight.

Second, I love how the neighborhood comes alive for one night. Whether walking door to door trick-or-treating or handing out candy at home, you get to see neighbors that normally hide inside. It's the one opportunity each year you get to verify the ancient old lady down the street is indeed still alive and the chance to meet new neighbors.

The foot traffic up and down the street can only be matched when the power goes out and neighbors emerge to verify it is in fact not just their house, or when an ambulance, police car, or fire truck make a visit to the neighborhood and all the gawkers find their gawking spot.

Halloween costumes not only mask faces, but can mask inhibitions and get neighbors interacting.

High school football is Pure Michigan, especially in Manchester

Manchester JV against Clinton earlier this year.

There's nothing more Michigan than the high school football playoffs.

The season continues for the Flying Dutchmen, after posting one of the best records in Washtenaw County at 8-1. They play in a Division 6 district which contains several southern Michigan teams, including Leslie, Hillsdale (Manchester's most recent victim) and Grass Lake, which gave them their only loss of the season. Move on farther, and the possibility of playing other teams from other parts of the state emerge. Because of being in Division 6, a division with smaller schools, it opens up the geography, as many smaller schools are in more rural areas.

This is a football state, no question about it. Between two Big Ten schools, several other Division I programs (including my alma mater), Division II schools that garner national attention and we can't forget about these guys, this state loves it some football. Which is why the high school football playoffs are so special: what's a better way to celebrate Michigan than competing against some of the other best schools and regions in the state? It's a wonder the Pure Michigan campaign hasn't thought of marketing it harder.

I'm not a football writer, and I don't pretend to be. I'm no expert on stats, and I can't tell you who will win it all (of course, it'd be nice to see the Dutch play in Detroit). The closest experience I have is I played in one playoff game as a backup to the backup in high school for my now-defunct high school (We were clunked 47-7).But I do know that while everyone wants their team to win at Ford Field come Thanksgiving weekend, it's something the entire state can embrace.

Manchester's journey could be an interesting one geographically. Once it gets through districts, Manchester will play a school from southwest Michigan (Hartford, Cassopolis, Constantine or Schoolcraft)  for the regional crown. From there, they could play schools ranging from Ecorse to Vassar in the state semifinals. And it wouldn't be uncommon to see an Upper Peninsula school in the state title game.

I've seen how football is in other communities across the state. Living in mid-Michigan for several years, It wasn't hard to see that's a football-hungry area of Michigan. Schools like Mount Pleasant, Beal City and Ithaca expect to do well in the playoffs after completing 9-0, 8-1 seasons. Near Detroit, it's no secret who the teams to beat are (yes, I'm looking at you, Brother Rice), and it's best not to knock East Grand Rapids anytime. I don't know a lot about the Upper Peninsula's football hunger, but I bet it's not a bad feeling to win a title and knock off a few "trolls" (Lower Peninsula dwellers) in the process.

Manchester's hungry for a playoff victory, especially after losing in the first round last year to Willow Run. The road the Dutch could take may make for just as an exciting trip as the games themselves.

In any case, Go Dutch!

Time to run?

Forbes released a list this week of the most dangerous cities in America and Detroit was number one. Living in a suburb of Detroit, the top ranking increased my desire to move as far away from city as possible. I enjoy visiting Detroit when going to an event, like a Tigers game. I would not, however, want to live there. I appreciate those trying to bring the city back to life, and maybe I should try to make change instead of complaining.
The list also reminded me of one of the things I hate about watching Detroit sports on national television. Usually when a Tigers or Wings game is broadcast nationally, the announcers make some type of comment about the fans showing the spirit of Detroit and breathing new life into the city. Yes the fans attending the games are putting money from parking and concessions into the city, but after the game they get in their cars, lock their doors and go back to the suburbs.
Also, in now way are these people the true "spirit" of Detroit. Eight-two percent of Detroit's population is African American. Take a look at the stands, it's predominantly white.
I wish national broadcasters would call it as it is and draw attention to what Detroit is really like. Show the homeless people begging for change outside the stadium, as well as the guy with the foam Tiger paw, $8 beer and $4 hot dog texting on his smartphone.
Let's show American a full image of Detroit, the rays of sunshine emerging from the financial troubled city, along with the hardships.

Don't be silent

A new school year brings news friends and new experiences. It can also bring new dangers. Women and students in Washtenaw County can easily become victims of sexual assault, not only from new friends, but trusted friends at well.
One of my friends from college was recently featured in a television news story discussing how she was raped her senior year of college. The incident really hit close to home. Women and men of all ages should know how to protect themselves and how to get help.
Safe House Center in Ann Arbor which provides support for sexual assault victims and is a wonderful source for victims.

A little village politics during last weekend's Oktoberfest bed races

Local political jabbing anyone? (Photo by Tanya Wildt)

 There was a little fun-poking at the village council for those paying attention during the bed races at Oktoberfest last weekend.

The team from Stockwell's Home Cooking on Adrian Street had its team members wear cardboard sandwich board signs around their necks with phrases like, "Is my sign in the right place?"

The signs were an allusion to the sign ordinance debate earlier this year. Owner Dawna Stockwell had a sandwich board on Main Street to bring patrons into her restaurant for several years, and was ordered to move it after it was found it was in violation of the village's ordinance.

After several months of debate back and forth between the village council and the planning commission, it was decided that the sign remained off Main Street. The board has stood in front of Stockwell's and Kellie's ever since.

Jackson Model Rocketry Club

The Jackson Model Rocketry Club held a launch at Horning Farms in Freedom Township.

When voting still matters, even if every candidate is a shoo-in

This was the scene most of the day in the village room Tuesday.

It's always been something that's been engrained in me since I was in school: vote, vote, vote and yes, don't forget to vote. Your voice is important.

That's why it was slightly stunning to see only eight ballots cast in the Manchester village elections Tuesday when I stopped by the polling place at 12:30 p.m. in the village hall.

Sure, there were only four candidates running for four slots in an election in September, but surely more than eight folks would turn up before noon, right?

Many will say, "what does it matter? Those four people are going to get elected anyway" and not show up to vote. To a degree, this makes sense for all of us, and I might have done the same before. But my thinking has changed.

Here's an interesting tale to put things in perspective: a woman in Burton, a suburb of Flint, ran for the lone spot on the Bentley school board in May. She was a write-in candidate for one of two spots, and was the only other eligible candidate. In other words, one vote for her would win.

But she didn't win. She failed to have one person vote for her, including herself that day.

She told The Flint Journal she was at her son's baseball game, and couldn't make it to the polls.

“I (thought I) would have gotten a vote,” she told The Journal. “I had plenty of people I know that would have gone up there and voted.”

Because of remembering this incident and seeing the low vote total in the afternoon, I asked Village Clerk Julie Schaible Tuesday afternoon what would happen if someone, for some reason, didn't get a vote. She was not completely sure how it would be handled, understandably so. It's not like this happens all the time.

Thankfully, no such incident happened. All four candidates received at least one vote, and they'll be sworn in on Oct. 3. But it does put things in perspective: just because someone is a shoo-in for a seat doesn't always mean they'll get voted in. Which is why that old cliche, "every vote counts" still rings true today.